The Secret in the Sniper
by Dani Valentine
Summary: A little story for Veterans Day. Booth thinks about the past, and something he needs to do. Brennan thinks about her future. Please read and review.


**A/N: Here's a little story I thought up for Veterans Day, it took on a bit of a dark turn, but oh well, I think it turned out okay. please read and review.**

**Title: The Secret in the Sniper**

**Author: Dani Valentine**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bones, or anything resembling anything from Bones. **

**The Secret in the Sniper**

"Hey Bones," Booth greeted, as he heard the damp grass squish beneath her feet. She stopped a few feet behind him, before she answered.

"How'd you know it was me?" She asked quietly.

"I know you Bones," he said turning around to pull her up next to him. "Plus, I think you're the only one who would know to find me here."

"Oh, well, I figured a former army sniper would be visiting a fallen friend or two, on Veterans Day." She said looking at the headstone Booth had been looking at. Edward Parker was the name engraved in the stone, she had heard him mentioned before, Booth called him 'Teddy.' They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"You know, he was a good soldier." Booth commented. "He was just too green, they shouldn't have had him on that mission." A tear slipped down his cheek. Brennan's heart broke a little at the man she had known to never cry, let a tear fall freely over his face.

"I'm sorry Booth," she said putting her hand in his. He squeezed her hand in a silent gratitude.

"I kept telling him to stay down, but he kept popping back up. Until enemy fire caught him in the chest." Booth told her, another tear following the path as the one before it. "I carried his body all the way to the rendezvous point. I owed it to him, to bring him back to the states, to not let his body be stuck in the deserts of Kosovo."

"I'm sure his family is eternally grateful for that." Brennan said.

"His parents died before he got shipped off, all he had left was his girlfriend, but yes, she was very grateful." Booth said. He sat there silently reminiscing for a few more minutes. She looked upon him, it amazed her that a man trained to kill, to be sniper, was so compassionate about and affected by death, it was one of the great contradictions of the world.

He said it was his Catholic guilt that led him to be a cop, pay penance for his sins, but she knew; it was much more than that. It wasn't as if he was killing innocent people, no, it was war, and he was following orders. Taking out those responsible for genocide, and God knows what else.

She doesn't believe in psychology, and she couldn't even begin to guess what was going on in his mind. She did know him, however, she could tell when he was holding something back. She knew that in time he would trust somebody enough to tell them the whole story. She just hoped that when that day came, it would be her that he leaned on for comfort, like all those times she had leaned on him.

He could feel her gaze on him as he silently paid his respects to his fallen comrade. It had been years since, that night, in the sweltering desert. Years since that bullet ripped a hole in his buddy's chest. Years since he felt his friends heart pumped for the last time, under Booth's blood stained hands.

It wasn't long after, his final mission with Teddy, he was sent off on another mission. With a ranger, that had a little more experience than Teddy had. He was a little older than Booth, joined when the war started, figured he could make some money, learn how to shoot, he didn't much care about the honor and pride of the service. Booth had met many men in the military, most of them great, but he had never met one that was simply evil.

One night, after having a little too much to drink the man confided in Booth, that a few years back he had killed his girlfriend, the cops never figured it out. Figured someone had broken into her house, thinking she wasn't there, and killed her when they found out she was. He wasn't remorseful about the whole thing, in fact he seemed proud, dare he say it, even a little bit cocky, that the police never caught him.

Booth was enraged by this information, he couldn't figure out how anyone could live with himself after murdering someone. He internally chastised himself at the irony of it all: a sniper judging a man for committing murder, but being an army sniper, someone who kills to serve a greater purpose for their country; and a murderer, someone who kills solely for themselves, are two completely different evils.

Sure he was angry, no furious, at the man for having done this to his girlfriend. He was also angry with the cop. It was the girl's boyfriend isn't that the one they're supposed to suspect first. Not only did he get away with it, but also now he's an army sniper, someone trained to kill people, given orders to kill people.

A few days later, they found themselves in the middle of a pretty heated firefight. Booth saw the face of the enemy aiming for the murderous form beside him; he knew that now was the time to make a decision: take out the enemy and save the murderer. Or would he let the man next to him take the bullet, and ensure that nobody else would ever be hurt by him again.

He knew that as a ranger it was his job to protect his fellow ranger, but as a man he knew it was his job to protect the innocent from the evils of the world. Including the evil that sat next to him. That's why he let that bullet hit the man next to him before he took a shot at the man who did it.

He knew what he did may have been wrong, but he couldn't bring himself to feel guilty about it. He knew his commitment would be up soon, and he decided not to reenlist. Instead he applied for a job with the FBI, he promised that as long as he was on the job he would try as hard as he could to make sure people paid for their crimes, and that any case that landed on his desk, he would see that he solved it.

He was doing a pretty good job until that day that the fuming, smart-ass, beautiful anthropologist came into his life. After she agreed to help him with his cases, permanently, he was doing a damn good job. His closure rate when up by at least five percent. And all those adjectives he used to describe her before were replaced with passionate, intelligent, and gorgeous anthropologist.

He never told anyone about the man he was partnered up with all those years back. He never told anyone about said man's confession. He never told anyone the real reason he joined the FBI. He simply told them it was Catholic guilt, which was partly true, but only partly true.

He knew that someday he would have to tell someone his story. Someone he could trust, and hopefully someone who wouldn't think any less of him for it.

Today, He realizes that he has found that person. The person he trusts fully, the person who trusts him as well, the only person who knew where to find him. He looked over at her face her eyes boring into his, trying to read the emotions he was trying to hide. He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed his back.

"How about we get out of here," Booth finally suggested.

"Sure," She agreed, not letting go off his hand, as they walked out of the cemetery.

"How about I go pick up some Thai food and meet you at your place, in a half hour." Booth suggested. "I have something I would like to share with you."

"I'll see you then Booth," she said, as they stopped in front of her car. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, she blushed.

"Thanks Bones," Booth said, as he started to walk over to his SUV.

"For what?" She asked.

"For being the one I can trust," he said giving her a smile, it wasn't a charm smile; it wasn't a smirk, but a genuine warm smile. She smiled back, as she opened the door of her car. She climbed inside and sat there a minute.

Everyone had always told her that she was closed off, never shared her secrets, Booth was thought to be the open, and inviting people person. When it turned out that the opposite was in fact true.

She knew, no matter what would be said later in the day, Booth would always be her rock. She knew that despite, all the faults she already knew about, and the ones that would be revealed he was a great man. He was the man she would still compare all other men to. He was the man who trusted her enough to tell his deepest secret to, and she wanted to be the woman he could trust to help carry that heavy burden. She put her car in drive, and headed off to her apartment, where her partner of five years would finally let her in.

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**A/N: Okay so what did you think? please review. **


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